After listening carefully to the statement issued today by the United States administration, and the guarantees the Palestinian Authority received from the United States government, the Palestinian Authority welcomes this statement and regards it as an important step towards the implementation of the Road Map and United States President George Bush's vision leading to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state and ending the Israeli military occupation that began in 1967.

We will discuss with the Palestinian delegation the details of their meetings with President Bush and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice upon their return from Washington tonight.

We also listened to the Israeli response, which we regard as an encouraging initial response, and we await the formal acceptance of the Road Map by the Government of Israel. We, however, stress that the real test is not only in words but also in deeds. We hope that the Israeli statements are translated into steps on the ground so as to achieve peace and stability.

We believe that, in light of the Palestinian acceptance and commitment to the full implementation of the Road Map, Israel's commitment to the Road Map's text and implementation, along with the continued active involvement of the United States, the Quartet, and the international community, will create a historic opportunity to end the Arab-Israeli conflict. This will be achieved based on a two-state solution and the Arab Initiative adopted at the Beirut summit. We reiterate our hope that this opportunity is taken in order to achieve a better future for the states and peoples of our region.